Water-level regulator.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905 C. H. CHANDLER.

WATER LEVEL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1905.

WITNESSES.-

Rm 2 m ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WATER-LEVEL REGULATOR.

No.'so0,ve3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed May 15, 1905. I Serial No. 260,446.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. CHANDLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Level Regulators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of devices embodying my invention, shown partly in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged like view of the controlling-valve and its direct connections shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2 with the valve-casing in section.

This invention relates to water-level regulators, and more particularly to improvements in the regulator for which I filed, on March 15, 1905, application for Letters Patent bearing the Serial No. 250,150.

The object of the present invention is the provision of perfected means for maintaining the water-level within a steam-boiler or other vessel at an approximately constant height or at various heights predeterminately; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The reference-numeral 1 designates a portion of a steam-boiler; 2, a water-column which is connected to the boiler by pipes 3 and 3 and provided with gage-cocks 4: A A", of which the middle one, 4, is positioned in the same plane at which it is desired to maintain the normal waterlevel as ordinary. Communicatively connected to the boiler by flexible pipes 5 and 5, and preferably at the side outlets 6 of T-fittings 7 interposed between said column and the gage-cocks 4E and 4", respectively, is an auxiliary receptacle 8, having a relatively large horizontal internal area. This receptacle is suspended from the short arm 9' of a horizontally-disposed lever 9 by differential pulleys 10 and chain 10', which are capable of reliably sustaining the same at any adjusted elevation. The lever is fulcrumed at 11 in a suitable hanger 12 and carries on its longer arm 9" a counterweight 13, which is adjustable lengthwise thereof and preferably by making the arm extensible or telescopic.

The lever is provided in the plane of its fulcrum with arms 14 1A, rectangular to the axis of the lever, and are respectively connected with like arms 15 15 of a cross 16 by rods 17 17, and the other arms 18 18 of this cross are connected by rods 19 19 with a lever-bar 20, loosely fitted on the cylindrical end 21 of the spindle of the oscillating throttle-valve 22 within a casing 23. This casing is included in a pipe-line 24, connecting a source of steam-supply with a feedpump, or, where the pressure is sufiicient in a service-pipe leading from a water-main, directly to the boiler or vessel provided with the invention. In practice a valve somewhat larger than the standard size used for the said pipe-line is desirable as being provided with a larger passage-way for the flow of the fluid therethrough, thus requiring less oscillation being had to furnish the amount of opening necessary or the rapid throttling of the controlled fluid. Fixedly secured to the said valve-spindle is an actuating-handle 25, provided with a slot 26, inclined from a radial plane projected through the spindle-axis and terminating at its inner end in an enlarged opening 26. A screw-bolt 27, having a butterfly-nut 28, projects through the said slot and a radially-disposed slot in said leverbar and permits the latter being clamped to said handle in the positions assumed thereby when the valve is rotatably adjusted to various predetermined positions. When, however, the bolt 27 extends through the enlarged opening 26 and the nut is not engaged with said handle, a certain amount of motion may be imparted to the bar 20 before it contacts with the ends of the opening 26 to actuate the valve, this lost motion being valuable under circumstances when it is desirable to have the flow of fluid passing through the valve, as where water under pressure is being controlled, affected less sensitively than at other times. The movement of the valve is further regulated as to its opening and closing by abutment-screws 29 29, extending in line therewith through bracket-arms 30, rigidly secured to the pipeline as by being formed on a sleeve 30, through which extends a set-screw 30.

In operating the apparatus in connection with a steam-pump it is desirable that the screw 29 should be adjusted to prevent the entire closing of the valve, as a better efiiciency of boiler is attained through a small and continuous supply of feed-water than by an intermittentflow, and which is also of advantage as it enables the pump to work uninterruptedly, thus obviating any occasion or delay in starting the same. The pivots of the lever 9, the

cross 16, and the pin 31, supporting the shackle 32, by which the differential-pulley devices are suspended, are desirably formed with sharp rocking points, thereby reducing the friction at such places to a minimum.

The operation of theinvention is as follows: The receptacle 8 is'first adjusted, by means of the aforesaid differential-pulley devices, to have its horizontal medial plane coincide with the plane at which it is desired to maintain the water within the vessel being charged, and being communicatively connected thereto by the flexible tubes the water-level will be the same in both, the water flowing into or from said receptacle as the water-level within the boiler is raised or lowered. WVhen the water flows from the receptacle, the consequent reduction in the weight is insuflicient to balance the counterweight, which tilts the lever to which it is connected and being operatively connected with the valve, as before described, opens the latter to supply more water to the vessel in which the Water is being regulated. When the water within the vessel has reached the level for which the receptacle has been adjusted, the weight of the water entering the same will overcome the counterweight and move the valve and stop or retard the further supply of water according to the adjustment of the regulating devices provided on or controlling the movements of the valve-handle or the bar 20.

The advantages of the present invention reside principally in the means of making it possible to predeterminately regulate the height of the water-level within a steam-boiler to give best results. For example, when the steam is required in large quantities the Water-lever is desirably maintained at a normal height corresponding ordinarily to the level of the middle gage-cock 4:; but when the work is reduced it is of great benefit to introduce a considerable volume of water to be heated to the steaming-point preparatory to the resumption of the work. A further advantage is in the nicety of the adjustment of the valve-controlling means, making the action of the valve sensitive or sluggish and responding to every demand.

I do not limit myself in carrying out the invention to the particular manner described, in which the valve-operating bar is connected to the lever, for it is evident that this would be varied to suit the requirements in each application and according to the respective location of the valve to the boiler or vessel; but,

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A feed-water regulator, comprising a receptacle, flexible pipes connecting the receptacle with a boiler, a lever carrying a weight on one of its arms, supporting connection between the receptacle and the other arm of said lever, an oscillating valve, alever-handle "for the valve, means for adjustably regulating the amount of opening and closing of said valve, and operative connection between said lever and. the handle, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel, and a water-receptacle connected to the vessel by two flexible pipes, said pipes being respectively connected to the vessel at points above and below the normal level of the water therein, of a valve, operative connection between said receptacle and the valve whereby the latter is caused to reduce the opening of the valve through a descending movement of the receptacle, means to further open the valve when the receptacle ascends, and means to regulate the amount of both the closing and opening movements of the valve, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel, and a waterreceptacle connected to the vessel by two flexible pipes, said pipes being respectively connected to the vessel at points above and below the normal level of the water therein, of a valve, operative connection between said receptacle and the valve whereby the latter is caused to reduce the opening of the valve through a descending movement of the receptacle, means to further open the valve when the receptacle ascends, means to regulate the amount of both the closing and opening movements of the valve, and means to cause the valve-actuating means to operate to a limited extent independently of the valve, substantially as described.

i. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel, and a water-receptacle connected to the vessel by two flexible pipes, of a valve, a handle fixedly secured to the valve and provided with a slot inclined from a radial line projected through the valveaxis said slot terminating adjacent of the valve in an enlarged portion, a bar loosely mounted upon the spindle of said valve and provided with a slot, means for securing said handle to the bar such means being also adapted when extended through said enlarged portion of the first-named slot to move to a limited extent with the bar independently of the handle, and operative connection between the said bar and the receptacle, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a pivoted lever having a weight adjustably mounted with respect to one end thereof and an adjustable connection with said receptacle atits opposite end, a valve and mechanism for operating said valve, and means in the plane of the fulcrum of said lever and operative with the lever for actuating said mechanism.

6. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a pivoted element connected to said receptacle at one end thereof and carrying a weight at the opposite end thereof, a valve, mechanism for operating said valve, and means located in the plane of the fulcrum of said element and operated by the element for actuating said mechanism.

7. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a pivoted lever adjustably connected to said receptacle at one end thereof and having a weight adjustably mounted with respect thereto at its opposite end, a valve with mechanism connected thereto for operating the same, and arms carried by the lever and located in the plane of the fulcrum thereof for operating said mechanism.

8. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a valve, mechanism for operating said valve adjustably connected thereto, mechanism for supporting said receptacle adjustably connected thereto, and means operative with said supporting mechanism for actuatingsaid valve-operating mechanism.

9. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a valve having mechanism adjustably connected thereto for operating said valve, a pivoted lever for supporting said receptacle, and means carried by said lever in the plane of the fulcrum thereof for actuating said valve-operating mechanism.

10. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a valve having an element rigidly connected thereto, a pivoted element adjustably connected to said rigid element, and means for supporting said receptacle and for operating said pivoted element.

11. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a valve having an element rigidly connected to the spindle thereof and an element pivoted to said spindle and adj ustably connected to said rigid element, and means supporting the receptacle and connected to said pivoted element for communicating movement of the receptacle to said pivoted element.

12. In combination with a vessel, a receptacle in communication therewith, a valve having a handle, mechanism adjustably connected to the handle for operating the valve, a pivoted element for supporting said receptacle, and means carried by said element for actuating said valve-operating mechanism.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. CHANDLER.

Witnesses:

SIERRE BARNES, J. E. GRANT. 

